AMES, Iowa (KCAU) — One of the Democratic candidates vying for the party’s nomination to go up against Republican incumbent Randy Feenstra for Iowa’s 4th congressional district has dropped out of the race. KCAU says Jay Brown announced on his Facebook page that he’s withdrawing from the race.

“I whole heartedly [sic] endorse Ryan Melton, with whom I feel great commonality on issues,” Brown said. “The decision was difficult, but I didn’t make a very good candidate.”

The only Democratic candidate in the race is Melton. Representative Feenstra announced last week that he’s running for re-election for a third term in the U.S. House of Representatives.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A national survey found that the restaurant industry saw a healthy jump in sales in 2023. But that didn’t help some places that were forced to close their doors in the past year. KCRG says MasterCard found that the retail sales grew over 3% this holiday season, and that includes restaurant industry sales. That same study found the Restaurant sector was up 7.8% year over year. So why are some places closing so soon?

Jessica Dunker with the Iowa Restaurant Association says the profits in the business still aren’t quite at the levels they were pre-pandemic. The establishment may look busy, she said, by when all is said and done, some restaurants simply aren’t profitable.

The reason for that can range from restaurant to restaurant, but it typically has to with increased prices to compensate for the cost of labor. And a huge part of that is tips. Dunker says servers and bartenders still depend on tips as a large part of their income.

She said also, one way to help with the overall success of the restaurant industry is to pay with cash. Dunker said, on average, these businesses will pay between 1.5 and 3 percent in card processing fees.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis says rival Nikki Haley gave a word salad answer when she made no reference to slavery after someone in New Hampshire asked her what caused the Civil War. DeSantis says it shows Haley isn’t ready for prime time. DeSantis, who’s campaigning in Iowa, spoke with reporters here yesterday (Thursday).

He called the abolition of slavery is the Republican Party’s top achievement. DeSantis, who opposes the removal of a Confederate monument in Jacksonville, Florida, told reporters you can’t erase history.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis, the wife of Florida Governor and Republican Presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, will be in Atlantic this (Friday) afternoon, as part of a conversation on the campaigns “Never Back Down” tour. The “Atlantic Conversations” event takes place at the Family Table Restaurant (609 W 7th St.). Doors open at 2-p.m., with Mrs. DeSantis scheduled to speak from 2:30-to 3:30-p.m. Register for the event HERE.

Florida’s First Lady Casey DeSantis at the Governor’s Mansion in Tallahassee. (Official photo) – Colin Hackley photo credit

Her other stops in Iowa today include: The Waukee IHOP, Three C’s Diner in Corning, and Barley’s in Council Bluffs.

(Crescent, Iowa/KETV) –  The Mt. Crescent Ski Area in Pottawattamie County is pushing back its opening day due to warmer-than-expected temperatures. The ski resort says its snowmaking team is doing everything they can to open as soon as possible, but they “need a little help from Mother Nature.” The Mt. Crescent Ski Area is located 15-miles northeast of Omaha, in the Loess Hills. The ski area originally planned a potential opening on December 30. It is now looking at the possibility of opening on Jan. 3, but expects it will be later.

The Mt. Crescent Ski Patrol squeezed in some lift evacuation training in preparation for the upcoming season earlier this week. (Image from the the resort’s Facebook page)

Mt. Crescent thanks visitors for their support and understanding. They tell season pass holders that, despite the weather delay, it still expects an 8 to 10-week season. The lodge is open Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for pass holders to pick up their pass before the season begins.

(Radio Iowa) – As electronics and toys are upgraded this holiday season, officials with landfills and recycling centers across Iowa are particularly worried about what happens to the old stuff. An E-P-A report says household waste increases by about 25-percent between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Alongside food and cardboard packaging, a lot of what winds up curbside contains rechargeable batteries. John Foster, the solid waste administrator for Black Hawk County, says the uptick in improperly disposed batteries creates dangerous headaches for landfills.

“The issue we run into is those are heavy metal batteries that are typically in there,” Foster says, “so as they break open or as they’re exposed to oxygen and water, they’ll heat up and they’ll cause fires.” He says that in addition to the seasonal increase in household waste, disposal sites are under additional stress because of those improperly disposed rechargeable batteries.

“Whether it’s at a recycling facility or a landfill, as those batteries break open, they’ll kind of start a fire,” Foster says, “and with a lot of combustible material around it, just a little fire can turn into a big fire pretty quick.” Foster also says fires caused by improper disposals are amplified by the prolonged drought, as his landfill has been putting out several small fires a week on average.